Looking for a 3d CAD drafting program that will run with Ubuntu. [more inside]
posted by Goofyy on Nov 25, 2009 - 9 answers

Can anyone recommend a website that lets you design a house, inside and out, including furniture placement in realistic-looking 3D for free?
posted by VC Drake on Nov 17, 2009 - 7 answers

what is it called, and how do you make a simulated 3D photo using two photos, then animated to flash back and forth? [more inside]
posted by karl88 on Nov 14, 2009 - 4 answers

Looking for a site aggregating a series of "2 slightly different pictures of the same subject animated in a loop". [more inside]
posted by bru on Nov 4, 2009 - 6 answers

Looking for some architecture/3D modelling tools to help visualise a home/internal renovation. [more inside]
posted by a non e mouse on Oct 14, 2009 - 8 answers

Where can I send someone a design of a 3D object and have them put it together for me? [more inside]
posted by god particle on Sep 2, 2009 - 11 answers

Hey all. Similar questions to this have been asked, but I think my formulation is unique. I am trying to model some stone walls for architectural models. I need the stone texture to show up in 3D so it will print on a 3D printer. I am not sure what the best 3D software to use for this application. [more inside]
posted by Yellowbeard on Aug 23, 2009 - 8 answers

good research materials on the subject of electric cars, 3d modeling and/or entrepreneurship? [more inside]
posted by groovinkim on Jul 20, 2009 - 4 answers

Digital graphics artists, hi! I have a painting in mind--a foliate head (aka 'green man') or rather several of them, embedded in foliage. I expect the final form will be in acrylic on masonite because I want it to be bigger than any monitor or color printer I'm ever likely to have. But I want to do most of the detail prep digitally, and it will involve 3D work because I plan to stare at and think about every single one of X hundreds of leaves, sized and rotated to fit in with its neighbors. So I'm fishing for recommendations about which of the free 3D packages I should plan on using. I know the learning curve will be pretty steep and I want to pick one program and stick to it. Free candidates I know of are SketchUp, Blender, and Bryce 5, but I'll consider anything. Does any one of these, or any other one you've used, stand out from the rest for doing complex-mesh organic forms like, um, leaves? If any of them make it easy (or anyway less hard) to texture flat(ish) objects on both surfaces, that's a big plus. Thanks very much! Oh, Windows or Linux. Got no Mac.
posted by jfuller on Jul 8, 2009 - 10 answers

I'm looking for an easy-to-use, lightweight application that will allow me to visualize a wooden structure I want to build. I know about CAD software like AutoCAD and modelling apps like 3dsMax, but they seem way more complicated than what I'm looking for. Sketchup seems to fit the bill pretty well, but it's hideous to look at and I can't seem to get exact measurements out of it. Any alternatives to sketchup out there? (free preferably but not required) Thanks
posted by AltReality on Jun 15, 2009 - 16 answers

Pixar's Up: 3d or 2d? [more inside]
posted by nushustu on Jun 1, 2009 - 39 answers

I saw My Bloody Valentine 3D in theaters, and it was awesome. I also just saw the DVD at target with four 3D glasses!! Since I know the theater uses the REALD (CP polarization) system, and I know tv panels don't operate the same way, has anyone bought the DVD/know how the home theater version works/is it worth checking out?
posted by Large Marge on May 29, 2009 - 2 answers

How can I rotate an object in Maya while it's on a path and automatically banking? I'm currently making an animation involving a paper airplane, and I have it set to bank automatically, but I would like it to fly upside down at one point, and briefly turn on its side at another. I'm very new to paths in Maya, and whatever I try to do usually ends up making the plane rotated for the entire animation. Ideally I'd like to be able to keyframe a rotation while still having the paper plane following the path and banking normally. Is this possible?
posted by N2O1138 on Apr 22, 2009 - 4 answers

XYZ coordinate grid from 3d file? [more inside]
posted by ian1977 on Apr 18, 2009 - 8 answers

Is the theatrical 3D film experience (e.g. 'Monsters vs. Aliens') much better than it used to be? Eyestrain, headaches, nausea used to be what you suffered through in the old red-blue glasses days in order to say you saw a 3D movie...has that gotten good enough now that it's safe to take, e.g., a 7 year old boy to these things?
posted by felix on Mar 27, 2009 - 26 answers

With what imaging software was the new Sci-Fi Channel logo created? [more inside]
posted by mattdidthat on Mar 17, 2009 - 8 answers

What is a good source for high-quality 3D people for use in digital architectural models? Polygon count and cost are of no concern, while natural-looking faces, textures, and poses are a must. [more inside]
posted by sharkitect on Mar 10, 2009 - 9 answers

I need help finding the correct glasses/lenses (if they exist) to allow one to view a much-larger-than-usual stereoscopic image. [more inside]
posted by VuMastr on Mar 2, 2009 - 4 answers

My girlfriend and I saw Coraline last night in 3D. Now we have a pair of these nifty 3D glasses. What now? [more inside]
posted by Geppp on Feb 7, 2009 - 19 answers

Can Canadians snag 3D glasses for the 3D Chuck episode? [more inside]
posted by joelhunt on Jan 13, 2009 - 4 answers

Where can I find the 3-dimensional version of Clue/Cluedo that has, like, 7 floors? [more inside]
posted by blue andrea on Jan 10, 2009 - 6 answers

3-D folks, Mathematicians, and Artists: Trying to create my own Trompe-l'œil / forced perspective illusionary image to hang on my wall (e.g. the awesome parking garage signage everyone's already seen... more examples here, and here). I'm having trouble faking it with 2-D programs, and the math is puzzling me. [more inside]
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj on Jan 9, 2009 - 34 answers

Best application for 3D graphing (heat maps, contours, bump maps and so on)? [more inside]
posted by unSane on Dec 18, 2008 - 6 answers

GiftFilter: What can I give my brother-in-law for Christmas that will help improve his chances of getting a 3D art job? [more inside]
posted by wintersweet on Dec 17, 2008 - 11 answers

Why have some of my OpenGL applications stopped working in Windows? [more inside]
posted by Jimbob on Dec 6, 2008 - 5 answers

How would my 6yo daughter with strabismus perceive a 3-D movie? [more inside]
posted by dancinglamb on Dec 6, 2008 - 15 answers

Please help me wrap my head around this 3d graphics math. :( [more inside]
posted by mebibyte on Oct 14, 2008 - 9 answers

where can i find super high quality, anatomically accurate 3D models of dinosaur skeletons? [more inside]
posted by nihlton on Oct 13, 2008 - 4 answers

I would like to set up a system optimized for 3D rendering. Specifically Second Life. [more inside]
posted by Fenriss on Oct 7, 2008 - 6 answers

I'm looking for free software that allows me to put data in an 3-dimensional table/grid, and then lets me view it. [more inside]
posted by alligatorman on Sep 25, 2008 - 2 answers

What should I use to make a simple 3D model of a school (not real)? I also need to create some classrooms (with chairs, table, etc). [more inside]
posted by Memo on Sep 15, 2008 - 11 answers

I'm beginning a project where I need to construct a 3D model based off the "average" shape (I'm not sure that's exactly the proper term) of a number of similar real-world objects, and I'm not sure on the best workflow or process. Example: I have 25 bananas and I want to create a 3D model based off the average shape of all these bananas. [more inside]
posted by itchi23 on Aug 27, 2008 - 18 answers

How to get an "imprint" of a model in Blender? [more inside]
posted by Blazecock Pileon on Aug 26, 2008 - 5 answers

I'm a graphic designer (InDesign, Photoshop, After Effects) who wants to be able to use 3D imagery in my work but I have little to no interest in modelling things myself. I'm very interested in animating in 3D space and playing with lights and cameras. No supercomplicated Pixar-like stuff (no characters), just moving around still (buildings etc) or almost still (flowers etc.) objects. For instance: right now I need to make an animation of some playing cards flying/falling away from the camera. I want to do this in 3D space and would like to be able to 'bend' the cards to exaggerate the movement. Is it possible for me to buy a stock 3D model of a playing card somewhere (where?) and add my own design to them? What 3D software would be most suitable for my purposes? I'm thinking it might be wise to pick the software that has the most enthusiastic modelsharing community...
posted by dinkyday on May 31, 2008 - 4 answers

Is anyone aware of a general-purpose 3D renderer built with Flash? Sort of like a Flash version of those VRML plugins that were all the rage in 1997, only without the suck? I'm creating a browser game, and I'd like the main viewport to display 3D images. I could render images on the server and feed them to the client, but the demand on server CPU and bandwidth would be prohibitive. I'd love to find a client-side solution. [more inside]
posted by greenie2600 on May 18, 2008 - 6 answers

A couple of years ago for an art project I made a couple of four foot long geckos out of conduit and fence wire. It was a lot of work and the end result, while pleasing, wasn't quite as finished looking as I would have hoped. I got the idea from looking at beaded wire frame animal shapes you can see for sale in artsy stores. How can I make a frame for animal shapes that represents the original more accurately with less guesswork? [more inside]
posted by diode on Mar 23, 2008 - 2 answers

3D cross section software? is there such a thing? [more inside]
posted by nihlton on Mar 17, 2008 - 9 answers

Simple 3D and 3D Text Plug-ins or Apps? [more inside]
posted by spyke23 on Mar 1, 2008 - 2 answers

Photographs → 3D Model of Landscape? I've seen software demos of 3D information extrapolated from photographs — so how can I use this tech to map my house-on-a-hillside into a relatively accurate Sketchup 3D model? [more inside]
posted by five fresh fish on Feb 24, 2008 - 8 answers

Fractal creation/generation within Maya? [more inside]
posted by supyo on Feb 7, 2008 - 2 answers

A non-technical friend has some CAD drawings of a widget he's making. He wants to make pretty pictures (renderings?) of the widget, with a background, texture, that kind of thing. [more inside]
posted by everichon on Feb 7, 2008 - 12 answers

Does anyone have experience using DirectX in a server-side application? Is it practical? If not, what alternatives are there? [more inside]
posted by Vorteks on Jan 4, 2008 - 10 answers

A few years ago I came across some cool OpenGL 3D physics demo programs. Basically, they gave you a surface with various objects on it, and you could click and drag the objects around, and watch them bounce into other objects - knock down bowling pins, roll along the floor, all that stuff. I want to find them again, or possibly something much cooler or newer - any ideas? [more inside]
posted by Jimbob on Dec 26, 2007 - 5 answers

Disneyworld Epcot's "The Seas with Nemo & Friends" ride: Near the end of the ride, as we travel by in our clamshell wagons, we look through a large window to see various animated Nemo characters projected in 3D into an actual fishtank containing living, respiring denizens of the deep. How did they create that illusion? The illusion doesn't seem to falter with the changing viewing angle of the moving wagon.
posted by bbranden1 on Oct 25, 2007 - 4 answers

Recommendations for college-level digital art course : video on the industry/creative processes of 3-D animation? [more inside]
posted by Slothrop on Oct 21, 2007 - 4 answers

Please help me learn a few simple techniques in Blender. Including outputting an animation to video. [more inside]
posted by austinlee on Oct 4, 2007 - 1 answer

Neeerrrrrrrrdfilter: I want to play Bioshock. Help me find the most economical way to upgrade my video hardware so that it will run the game satisfactorily. [more inside]
posted by killdevil on Aug 22, 2007 - 20 answers

How can I learn Maya in two months? [more inside]
posted by prophetsearcher on Jul 10, 2007 - 15 answers

I have been tasked with creating a virtual walkthrough of an existing space, using some sort of 360º panoramas, with zooming, maybe audio. I am of familiar with QTVR and, VRML, and have heard of X3D, but wonder what the state of the art is for this kind of thing. [more inside]
posted by signal on May 30, 2007 - 5 answers

What 3D Projection Systems Are Movie Theaters Likely to Install? [more inside]
posted by DudeAsInCool on May 15, 2007 - 6 answers